If 1000 fans can scare Ashley, what could 50,000 do?

Another fat dictator.

Dear reader, if you haven’t seen it yet, my latest piece on Mike Ashley’s childish and pathetic attempt at censorship was published yesterday on metro.co.uk and you can read it by following the link below:

Just for the record though, the titles are not my own. I would never say that a media ban was more important than losing twice in a row to that lot! Also, I have never described the club I have supported since the 1970s as a “laughing stock” just its owners and a few other clowns who have been associated with it down the years.

Since I wrote that piece, there have been quite a few stories from a vengeful press pack over Mike Ashley’s crass attempt to muzzle the media. It takes a really nasty piece of work to actuallly make the fourth estate look like the good guys nowadays, but, alas, it’s a cakewalk for the odious Ashley with his laughable spoiled brat tantrums. Thanks to his latest blunder, he has now made a small march with only around 1000 participants at most into a major event in the national media, and even overseas. To borrow an American expression, Way to go, fatty!

However, ‘Time 4 Change’ should capitalise on this right now and keep the momentum going, and they should open a new front in the war, against Sports Direct. They have enjoyed a parasitical relationship with Newcastle United, not to mention 90% of its own workforce and starving sweatshop workers in the far East for too long now. Of course, we shouldn’t forget those other evil parasites who mercilessly exploit the desperation of the poor and vulnerable, Wonga.

Returning to the media’s reaction to Ashley banning NCJ media, aka the Chronic, the Journal and the Sunday Stun, one reaction which caught my eye was a very well written piece of anti-Ashley polemic by David Baines, the Newcastle branch representative for the NUJ (National Union of Journalists). Here’s what he wrote in a piece called “NUJ disputes red card for soccer reporters“:

“We have seen this kind of bullying by Newcastle United before. They have form; they are serial offenders. They just can’t take criticism, can they?

“The club has placed itself alongside many unsavoury organisations around the world which, instead of doing something about their own failings, inadequacies, incompetency, brutalities, try to stop people mentioning them. That way, they hope, criticism will disappear.

“But they can’t stop people talking about their inadequacies around the water cooler, in the bars, on the terraces, on Twitter and Facebook – so they try to stop journalists doing their jobs, writing about them, reporting on them.

“The leaders of Newcastle United emerge as rather pathetic figures, thin-skinned and paranoid. But what this bullying behaviour really betrays is an ingrained lack of respect for the team’s fans – whose money pays the executive wages. It is the fans who ultimately lose out when a football club bans the local papers.

“I was going to suggest that this kind of behaviour was more suited to the primary school playground than the big boys’ game, but that would be very unfair on the children who are for the most part far more mature and sporting.”

Though it is a bit rich to see a representative of the Journalistic profession carping on about others being bullies with a lack of respect in the wake of the recent Leveson inquiry and the forthcoming trials of Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, it is a very eloquent description of the behaviour of Ashley and his cohorts nonetheless.

You can also see a copy of the letter sent by the Northern and Midlands branch of the NUJ to Mike Ashley and Wendy Taylor below:

<<<<<<<<< wonders how many more times fatboy could shoot himself in the foot with the legal advisers he could afford,unless like i think he dont give a poop about the club or its fans,so im thinking all this crap he keeps cause is on purpose and the fat prick is trying to make our club a laughing stock

Hi Guy’s, Cyprus calling,
Its a great shame that a few more folk didn’t have the convictions of the few that did make the march. Had I still lived in Gosforth, I would have been there. As has been previously mentioned, how much more would the fat controler have been pissed off if say4 0r 5 thousand had made the effort. It galls me to think that as a major support figure in the country the majority still prefer to choose not to do anything in the hope that this despicable, odious, prick of an excuse for a man will somehow just fade away and things will be alright. Let me tell ya, It is not going to happen. We are at war with this little fat hitler who thinks he is God b cos he has a bob or two. As a body, our great fans should get solidly behind Time4Change, swell their numbers for the next march and let fatty know he is in a fight. Never mind spoiling your weekend cos youv paid for your S/T, Grow some balls and stand up for YOUR great club. It will still be here when the cockney git is long gone. I would urge as many as possible to use their backbone to standup for NUFC. No more programmes, no drinks in the ground, no memorabilia and any other means possible to thoroughly piss Cashley right off. The only thing he understands is wonga (pardon me) so by withdrawing our services will hurt him more than a poke in the eye.
Howaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay the Lads.

Sadly there are two major problems at SJP. 1 a manager who wouldn’t no a tatic it if hit in the face and 2 an owner who dosn’t give a sh#t. The only way to solve the problem is to hit no. 2 where it hurts, in the pocket. Boycot any kind of merchandising and lack of bums on seats. Then watch the bloated leech drop off and sliver back to London where he belongs and good ridance

SJT, I was gannin’ to do a preview and all that but I started to feel really bad as I was finishing this one off. The quack gave me some new tablets to take that can have bad side effects with some people and I’m one of them seemingly. I’m feeling better now though and I will get a banter post up later.

What could 50,000 do?, Eh new car, New guitar, Good holiday, Buy mesel some new clabber!

I think if 50,000 fans went on a march, It would definitely reach the media, And bring about a lot of attention, To the situation.
In reality, I think if we can mobilize fans groups together, The way forward for me, Is for us to send out representatives, To try and find a buyer.

Ashley has apparently said in private, He would be open to a sale.
We probably know that is a load of crap, And i think we all know the reason why he is here, And his reasons for buying the club, In the first place.
He is using Newcastle United as a free advertising tool for his tat empire.
Personally he is a con man pleading poverty, And he is making a lot of money through the club, And his free advertising!
So he will be reluctant to relinquish his scam, Without a fight.

If the fans can get together, And possibly put up a website explaining the club, The history etc, And also the situation with Ashley, And the money he wants for the club, And advertise the fact, For people who maybe interested in the club in principle, And what it would take to buy it.
They could even chip in together, And advertise it through some Arabian newspapers, For sheer devilment.

We could even do something like what Niall quinn did, I’m not sure if he had the backing of Bob Murray, But he managed to drum up interest somehow.
We need a group with experience in this field, And not f**kin’ “Orville”, Who i think was another BS merchant for Ashley!
We need an offer in principle, Which gives fat boy exactly what he wants, Then see what his reaction is, When there is an offer, On the table!
We will then see how serious he is to hand the reins over, I know i’ll probably get shot down for this, But it is better than sitting around, Saying it’s his club, He can do what he wants, And protests that might just drive him more underground, And lead to more tantrums, And him saying, “I will not finance the club anymore”, Which is a bit rich, Because he has done precious little of that despite his so called loan.
Lets be more proactive in the way forward, And try and do something constructive, Rather than just insult him, And have continued protests.

Cheers jimnty. It’s for all of us as fans to keep the pressure on. As you probably know, all Ashley thinks about is money and that’s the real way to get to him. In other words, don’t buy any of his shite and persuade others not to buy any of his shite too (and that includes Sports Direct). That’s the only thing that will make him sit up and listen.

Having written that, I didn’t think a march of less than a thousand people would make him shoot himself in the foot so badly!

“We could even do something like what Niall quinn did, I’m not sure if he had the backing of Bob Murray, But he managed to drum up interest somehow.
We need a group with experience in this field, And not f**kin’ “Orville”, Who i think was another BS merchant for Ashley!”

Joe, if you recall, Keith Harris did try to get a group called the ‘Red Knights’ together to buy Manchester United, but thay couldn’t do it because it was too big.

“Rather than just insult him, And have continued protests.”

As I mentioned earlier, who would have thought that little march would have had the effect it did. As I also mentioned, money is the way to hit Ashley obviously as he’s such a greedy bastard. Fans should open up a new front in the war though, Sports Direct. There should be picketing of stores, sit ins or whatever. Time 4 Change should speak with people who have already campigned against them like ‘Unite’ and support that ex Sports Direct employee who is taking legal action against them, Zahera Gabriel-Abraham. That is how campaigns against people as rich and powerful as Ashley can be effective.

Worky, Protests are good, And keep the pressure on the regime, As long as they are constructive, And don’t spill over into a riot or petty insults, Or violence!
Highlighting Ashley’s business practices, Outside of Newcastle United, Is also a good thing.

We need to either make him as sick as a parrot, He just doesn’t want to be here anymore, Or he f**ks up to the point, Where it will be a millstone to him, And he will not mind offloading the club, At a loss, Which would mean we suffer!
Or we can somehow get together something that can be presented to him, In the form of an offer.
Surely he would have to listen to people if they were actually helping him to exit the club, In a manner which is beneficial to him, And all concerned!

On an unrelated point. I’d like to bring to NUFC fans attention that the EDL (English Defence League) plan to use the NUFC grounds as a meeting point on the 9th of November at 10am to 10.30am.

I’m sure the club and fans wouldn’t want to be affiliated with such a far-right extreme group as the club supports ‘Show racism the Red Card’. If possible it’d be great if fans could pass this on and send an email to NUFC and Show Racism the Red Card about this so it could be brought to their attention. Here’s a draft email:-

‘Dear Show Racism the Red Card/NUFC,

I’m contacting you to bring to your awareness that the English Defence League (EDL) plan to use NUFC football ground as a meeting point to assemble outside Nine bar on the 9th of November at 10am to 10.30am.

Doesn’t NUFC embrace it’s ‘Show racism the red card?’ Will NUFC/Show Racism the Red card not allow this group assemble on their grounds? Previously they have used the same spot outside NINE as a meeting point for their demos.

I’d feel very uncomfortable if you did allow such an extreme group to use your grounds for such purpose. Especially a club which known for a diversity of players from across the globe. I hope to hear a response or action taken by you very soon.

Hmmm, that’s a difficult one, Jack. The Nine Bar is more or less out on the street so wouldn’t that be the council rather than SJP grounds?

I would say regarding the club it be more of a question of whether they admit them into the Nine Bar itself and serve them?

I daresay Chi Onwurah won’t be happy about it at all and she’s the MP. Should definitely send her an e.mail. I’m sure she’d have something to say about it and she’s an anti-racist campaigning Toon fan.

I think tonight is the perfect chance to let him know the strength of feeling and STAY AWAY!
This is the first time in what is a lot of years of support that I hope we get thrashed.The downfall of this lot has to start somewhere let it be tonight.
Having said that I know it will not happen the staying away part that is.
Still don’t think most of the fans today have it in them and are prepared to wait for that miracle that blinding flash of light that makes Ashley become the saviour and Pardew understand football and look at himself rather than blame others.
I think its going to be a long haul to long for some of us.

SJT, If it’s going to happen, Then i say, Do it now!
The quicker Kinnear is in place, The quicker he will leave, One way or another!
I just hope it’s football related, And not to the detriment of his health.
Although i do feel it would be the most ludicrous decision, Ashley has ever made.
If it does go down, I think it will be pitched to the fans, As an interim role, To somehow try and soften the blow, And quell any unrest!
Ashley will then hope “Mr Better Than Capello, And Joe Is My Hero, He got us up to 13th”, Will do well enough, When Ashley can say, “Joe Deserves A Shot At The Title”, And make him permanent!
It didn’t work the first time around, And it will not happen again!

Tonight’s game is really all about Man City, And how seriously they take this game.
That’s how insignificant i think Pardew is to proceedings, The result will depend on what team City put out, Although their second string will be a match for our team, And we will be minus a few of the heavy hitters, Well alleged heavy hitters!
Although he will no doubt try his best to put us out of the Cup, With his inane meddling.
Dafty will do his thing, By either standing with his arms folded, Or furiously scribbling into his little black book, Which the more he scribbles, The less he knows, And the worse he becomes!

If I was Ashley and I really wanted to piss everyone off, I could do better than just making Kinnear manager. I would try to persuade Dennis Wise to return as a replacement for Pardew. A return of a Wise / Kinnear combo (only the other way around) would certainly cause a bit of a kerfuffle on Tyneside.